Health and Nutrition Essay Example

1. What are the six nutrients? What roles do the nutrients play in the body? (List three)

The six main nutrients required by the body are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins fat, minerals, and water. The nutrients are however important, and the roles they play in the body include: a source of energy and carbohydrates are the min in energy contribution, but fats and proteins also contribute to energy provision. Enhance growth and development lie proteins are vital during growth as it is part of cells, bones, muscles, blood, and ligaments. Enhance bone health that is minerals like calcium and vitamin D (Mader and Michael 185).

2. List and briefly explain three out of the five characteristics of a nutritious diet. How might one's ethnicity affect food choice?

Since many disorders in America are linked to improper diet, defining characteristics of a nutritious diet is essential. The characteristic of a nutritious diet are one is that the diet must be adequate meaning the food eaten provides enough of each essential nutrient, energy, and fiber. Two the diet has to be moderate meaning there is no excess sugar, fat or salt. Three the diet must have a variety that is foods from all food groups (Mader and Michael 191). Ones ethnicity affects food choice since different ethnic groups have particular food they have been accustomed to eating depending on their culture.

3. What is lactose intolerance? Why does a person become lactose intolerant? How can a change in the DNA sequence cause this disorder?

Lactose intolerance is a condition of not having lactase enzyme to digest dairy products. One becomes lactose intolerant due to lack of enzyme lactase that will digest lactose into the body (Mader and Michael 178). Change in DNA sequence found in MCM6 gene that controls the production of LCT gene may turn LCT gene off thus inhibiting lactase production because LCT gene controls the making of lactase enzyme.

4. Describe the functions of the pyloric valve and the (esophageal) sphincter. Which symptoms might occur if the sphincter malfunctions? How can these symptoms be relieved?

The Pyloric valve or sphincter is made up of smooth muscles and joins the duodenum and stomach. This sphincter plays a key role in digestion where it controls how the partially digested food (chime) enters the small intestine from the stomach (Mader and Michael 176). Esophageal sphincter closes when food is not being swallowed to prevent stomach content and acid from flowing backward. When esophageal sphincter malfunctions, one can experience heartburn, session of pain and vomiting. These symptoms can be relieved by proper diet and medication (Mader and Michael 174).

5. Compare the structure (anatomy) of the small and large intestines. How do their structure contribute to their function in both chemical and mechanical digestion?

The large intestine has a wider diameter than the small intestine although a bit short and contains useful bacteria. It includes rectum, colon, anal canal, and cecum. The small intestine has a very small diameter but very long almost six meters. It has folds bearing microvilli that enhance food absorption into the bloodstream and increases surface area for absorption. It has enzymes produced by pancreas thus can digest all types of food. Large intestine produces vitamin B-complex, vitamin K and breaks down indigestible materials all using the bacteria in it ((Mader and Michael 176).

6. Differentiate between hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia. How does eclampsia lead to organ damage and seizures?

Hypertension is characterized by blood moving through the blood arteries at a higher pressure than it should normally and is realized when systolic blood pressure reaches 140/90 mmHg or more (Mader and Michael 106). Preeclampsia is also characterized by high blood pressure. However, it occurs only during pregnancy. Eclampsia happens to women with Preeclampsia condition and is characterized by the onset of convulsions (seizures). Eclampsia leads to seizure and organ damages because of constrictions of arteries leading to reduced blood flow to some organs.

7. Briefly discuss the nutritional benefits of breast milk. Breast milk is deficient in which vitamin? What is the role of this vitamin and how would a deficiency affect the infant?

Human breast milk contains nutrients like proteins that have great properties to protect infections due to the antibodies in it, has fats essential for baby's brain development. The milk also contains vitamins essential for baby growth, and carbohydrates, lactose, to decrease unhealthy bacteria in the stomach, to help fight diseases an improve calcium and phosphorus absorption (Mader and Michael 145). Breast milk is deficient in vitamin D, and mothers with the deficiency take vitamin D supplement (400 IU) every day from just after birth. Vitamin strengthens bones and teeth its deficiency causes rickets.

8. What are two things (related to nutrition) that a woman has to be careful about before getting pregnant? Of the two things you mentioned, discuss the risks involved.

Before getting pregnant, women should be paid more attention to what they eat since it is going to affect them during the pregnancy period. Women should make sure they eat food with enough folic acid (from citrus fruits, nuts, and beans) and iron (from meat such as poultry, lamb, and liver). Lack of iron can bring about undesirable conditions such as anemia while lack of folic acid can put the future child at risk of congenital disabilities such as spinal cord and brain defects (Mader and Michael 401).

9. Which two hormones work together to control hunger and satiety? Which parts of the body releases these hormones, and when? How does appetite differ from hunger?

Hormone leptin and ghrelin work together by ghrelin enhancing appetite and leptin act on the hypothalamus to give a satiety feeling thus suppressing appetite. Hormone leptin is secreted in the adipose tissue while ghrelin is secreted in the stomach (Mader and Michael 359). Appetite is a feeling of the urge to eat like ghrelin does accelerate food intake by inducing an increase in cortisol and growth hormone. It can be felt even when one has already eaten, but hunger is the feeling to eat when one has not eaten anything previously and has to eat to regain energy.

10. Why is water considered the most important nutrient? Choose two ways in which waterregulates the body and discuss it briefly.

Water is the most important nutrient in the body because of the numerous actions it performs. Water is necessary for transportation of other nutrients and compounds through the blood, water also regulates temperature, and it also maintains integrity of the cellular structure (Mader and Michael 72). Water regulates the body through sweating where it evaporates through the body cooling it. Water also has a huge heat capacity enabling it to regulate changes in body temperature in a cold or warm environment.

11. What are amino acids? What is its function within a cell? Explain how and when amino acids can be used for energy.

Amino acids are organic compounds that contain three parts: carboxyl, amines as the functional group and a specific side chain for each amino acid. They are the larger part of the cells. Thus they are the building block of the cell, and they give a structure to a cell. Amino acids are used for energy production when one has eaten too many proteins, and kidneys overwork to excrete the nitrogen (Mader and Michael 59).

12. What are the similarities and differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Both diabetes type 1 and type 2 are similar regarding symptoms such as polyphagia (excessive hunger), polydipsia (excessive thirst) and polyuria. Both types of diabetes also show similar life-threatening complications such as stroke, blindness, and kidney failure. Regular exercise affects both types of diabetes positive. However, they are different in that type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood while Types 2 is done in over 30 years. Type 2 is initially treated using medication while Type 1 requires insulin injection (Mader and Michael

Work cited

Mader, Sylvia S, and Michael Windelspecht. Human Biology. New York (NY: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.